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Inspection on 22/01/09 for Thornbank Residential Home

Also see our care home review for Thornbank Residential Home for more information

This is the latest available inspection report for this service, carried out on 22nd January 2009.

CSCI found this care home to be providing an Good service.

The inspector found there to be outstanding requirements from the previous inspection report but made no statutory requirements on the home.

What follows are excerpts from this inspection report. For more information read the full report on the next tab.

What the care home does well

We found that in October/November 2008 the manager had surveyed relatives and friends and asked for their views on matters such as privacy, choice, accommodation, laundry and food. At the same time a similar survey went to the residents for their view and an additional survey just around food and catering was given to the residents. This asked `what meals do you like most? What meals don`t you like and suggestions for menu change`. The response was good as 16 surveys were returned. The manager explained this was a regular survey completed annually and not just in response to our questioning. All surveys received were positive. Residents also have an opportunity to attend regular residents house meetings that are held every 3 months. We saw the minutes of these which included the actions that had been taken in response to matters raised. A copy was on display for residents to see. We spoke to 3 residents all of whom felt that they were listened to with regard any choice or issue they brought up. One resident said `Remarks we make are treated with respect and responded to or an explanation is given as to why something cannot happen. My family and friends have found the same`. In the hallway we found a comments box and leaflets entitled `your suggestions, comments and complaints`. Therefore we feel that the home gives plenty of opportunities to people who use this service to raise any issues and we are confident that matters will be taken seriously and looked into. With regard to catering we spoke to one of the two cooks employed at the home in detail about menu choices and changes. We found her to be knowledgeable and accommodating. Winter/summer menus and suggestions from residents meetings influenced what she cooked. The menu each day has 3 main choices - one of which is a salad. The cook told us that no financial restrictions were placed upon purchases and quality food such as `topside of beef, a good quality cut is used`. We visited the kitchen and found this had been refurbished in recent years and it looks very professional and clean. A recent environmental health inspection found no concerns. We spoke with 3 residents and all were very satisfied with meals and snacks given. One person liked the afternoon tea. We saw that a fresh strawberry and a chocolate cake had been made that day. We observed part of breakfast and the lunchtime meal. It was nicely presented and each resident got their choice of food that they had made. The atmosphere was relaxed but efficient as there were plenty of staff to assist and serve. We spoke to the activities organiser who works 12 hours a week. She was knowledgeable about residents preferences and friendly. She was delivering what was on the monthly program advertised around the home. Several people had made their way to the main lounge to watch a documentary by David Attenborough. The activities person explained that the home tried to cater for all tastes therefore activities were chosen that made residents `think, become active, used their senses and memory`. The activities person also told us `we do seasonal things and we plan to do a Burns Night`. Two people also spoke of using the garden and Christchurch park mobile vehicle. We spoke with 3 residents. One said `I like memory games and I will attend the photo session coming up soon, as I like to choose what I attend`. Another resident attended most of what was organised and liked most of what was offered. A gentleman spoken with said that it was not all to his taste and he preferred to spend time with his own pursuits. `but I`m always offered and aware of what was going on`. Therefore we believe that the experience for people at Thornbank in relation to activities and socialising is positive as they are offered a variety of events that they can influence and choose if they attend. In relation to staffing within the home we looked at rosters and found that very little agency is used as staff prefer to cover from within. The manager is managing the sickness of staff well and when we were their a staff member telephoned to request additional hours. The rosters clearly showed 1 senior and 3 carers on shift during the day. At night there were 2 carers. The manager helps out over lunch as she likes to see all the residents each day. The home employs a handy man who was well known and used by the residents. The home employs 4 cleaners, 2 cooks, 2 assistant cooks and 2 dining room assistants as well as an administrative person. We found the home to be well staffed. We asked and saw on a laptop the response times to call bells for the previous morning. No one had waited more than 2 minutes. The system was also able to set up regular calls to a resident who was in bed, to ensure they were checked hourly by staff. The manager showed us the night manual that was in place and told staff of their duties and what to do. The manager stressed that no one gets residents up in a morning ready for day shift staff, but that this is a choice of each resident. The 3 residents spoken with confirmed that there are no set routines or times, that the home was well staffed and they never had to wait long for assistance. One resident said `what is nice is the staff employed all get along and support each other`. Therefore given all this information we believe that the staffing levels within the home are appropriate and meet the needs of the resident group.

What the care home could do better:

We conclude from this random unannounced inspection that Thornbank continue to offer a very good level of service to people and therefore we will continue with our inspection frequency plan based upon their good rating. This means we will not conduct a key inspection of this service until 2010. We have not made any requirements or recommendations of this service from this visit.

Inspecting for better lives Random inspection report Care homes for older people Name: Address: Thornbank Residential Home 6 Westerfield Road Ipswich Suffolk IP4 2UJ The quality rating for this care home is: The rating was made on: two star good service A quality rating is our assessment of how well a care home, agency or scheme is meeting the needs of the people who use it. We give a quality rating following a full assessment of the service. We call this a ‘key’ inspection. This is a report of a random inspection of this care home. A random inspection is a short, focussed inspection. Details of how to get other inspection reports for this care home, including the last key inspection report, can be found on the last page of this report. Lead inspector: Claire Hutton Date: 2 2 0 1 2 0 0 9 Information about the care home Name of care home: Address: Thornbank Residential Home 6 Westerfield Road Ipswich Suffolk IP4 2UJ 01473253346 01473639218 thornbank@greensleeves.org.uk Telephone number: Fax number: Email address: Provider web address: Name of registered provider(s): Type of registration: Number of places registered: Greensleeves Homes Trust care home 33 Conditions of registration: Category(ies) : Number of places (if applicable): Under 65 old age, not falling within any other category 0 Over 65 33 Conditions of registration: Date of last inspection Brief description of the care home Thornbank Residential Home is situated in a pleasant residential area of Ipswich and provides accommodation and care for up to 33 older people. The home is owned and administered by the Greensleeves Homes Trust, a non-profit making organisation and looks out onto Christchurch Park. The home is sited within easy reach of Ipswich town centre with all its facilities and resources. The building has been registered as a care home since 1945 when it was first purchased by the WRVS. In 1995 the neighbouring property was acquired and an extension with a link between the two houses was built. Accommodation is sited on three floors but all are accessible via a passenger or stair lift. The home has 29 rooms for single occupancy and two shared rooms all of which benefit from ensuite facilities with a minimum of a washbasin and toilet. Twenty-nine rooms also have the advantage of an ensuite shower facility. Additionally the home has 5 assisted bathrooms, which are located across 3 floors. The home has three Care Homes for Older People Page 2 of 9 communal lounges, and a large dining room. One of the lounges is located on the first floor of the building and is often used for religious meetings or hairdressing services. The range of fees at the date of this report as stated in the Service User Guide was £480.00 per week to £550.00 per week. Care Homes for Older People Page 3 of 9 What we found: We decided to conduct and unannounced random inspection of Thornbank because of our finding when completing the Annual Service Review. We wanted to assure ourselves that the staffing levels at the home were satisfactory and able to meet the dependency needs of the residents. We also wanted to look at matters relating to choice and decision making with regard catering, activities and when resident got up in a morning and retired at night. Therefore we spent time observing the breakfast, lunch and activities happening within the home. We spoke to key staff such as the cook, activities coordinator and the manager. we spoke to 3 residents in private about their experience of living at Thornbank - particularly asking questions on the matters we wanted clarified. The manager was able to show us a number of records including staff rosters, the night staff manual that gave instruction as to their duties and surveys that had recently been completed in relation to food satisfaction from residents and surveys from relatives and residents on what it is like at Thornbank. Having assessed all what we were told, read and saw for ourselves we are satisfied that the quality of care at Thornbank remains good and we have no concerns what so ever with regard catering, choice and decision making for residents. The staffing levels are satisfactory and staff numbers are able to meet the needs of the resident group. What the care home does well: We found that in October/November 2008 the manager had surveyed relatives and friends and asked for their views on matters such as privacy, choice, accommodation, laundry and food. At the same time a similar survey went to the residents for their view and an additional survey just around food and catering was given to the residents. This asked what meals do you like most? What meals dont you like and suggestions for menu change. The response was good as 16 surveys were returned. The manager explained this was a regular survey completed annually and not just in response to our questioning. All surveys received were positive. Residents also have an opportunity to attend regular residents house meetings that are held every 3 months. We saw the minutes of these which included the actions that had been taken in response to matters raised. A copy was on display for residents to see. We spoke to 3 residents all of whom felt that they were listened to with regard any choice or issue they brought up. One resident said Remarks we make are treated with respect and responded to or an explanation is given as to why something cannot happen. My family and friends have found the same. In the hallway we found a comments box and leaflets entitled your suggestions, comments and complaints. Therefore we feel that the home gives plenty of opportunities to people who use this service to raise any issues and we are confident that matters will be taken seriously and looked into. With regard to catering we spoke to one of the two cooks employed at the home in detail about menu choices and changes. We found her to be knowledgeable and accommodating. Winter/summer menus and suggestions from residents meetings influenced what she cooked. The menu each day has 3 main choices - one of which is a Care Homes for Older People Page 4 of 9 salad. The cook told us that no financial restrictions were placed upon purchases and quality food such as topside of beef, a good quality cut is used. We visited the kitchen and found this had been refurbished in recent years and it looks very professional and clean. A recent environmental health inspection found no concerns. We spoke with 3 residents and all were very satisfied with meals and snacks given. One person liked the afternoon tea. We saw that a fresh strawberry and a chocolate cake had been made that day. We observed part of breakfast and the lunchtime meal. It was nicely presented and each resident got their choice of food that they had made. The atmosphere was relaxed but efficient as there were plenty of staff to assist and serve. We spoke to the activities organiser who works 12 hours a week. She was knowledgeable about residents preferences and friendly. She was delivering what was on the monthly program advertised around the home. Several people had made their way to the main lounge to watch a documentary by David Attenborough. The activities person explained that the home tried to cater for all tastes therefore activities were chosen that made residents think, become active, used their senses and memory. The activities person also told us we do seasonal things and we plan to do a Burns Night. Two people also spoke of using the garden and Christchurch park mobile vehicle. We spoke with 3 residents. One said I like memory games and I will attend the photo session coming up soon, as I like to choose what I attend. Another resident attended most of what was organised and liked most of what was offered. A gentleman spoken with said that it was not all to his taste and he preferred to spend time with his own pursuits. but Im always offered and aware of what was going on. Therefore we believe that the experience for people at Thornbank in relation to activities and socialising is positive as they are offered a variety of events that they can influence and choose if they attend. In relation to staffing within the home we looked at rosters and found that very little agency is used as staff prefer to cover from within. The manager is managing the sickness of staff well and when we were their a staff member telephoned to request additional hours. The rosters clearly showed 1 senior and 3 carers on shift during the day. At night there were 2 carers. The manager helps out over lunch as she likes to see all the residents each day. The home employs a handy man who was well known and used by the residents. The home employs 4 cleaners, 2 cooks, 2 assistant cooks and 2 dining room assistants as well as an administrative person. We found the home to be well staffed. We asked and saw on a laptop the response times to call bells for the previous morning. No one had waited more than 2 minutes. The system was also able to set up regular calls to a resident who was in bed, to ensure they were checked hourly by staff. The manager showed us the night manual that was in place and told staff of their duties and what to do. The manager stressed that no one gets residents up in a morning ready for day shift staff, but that this is a choice of each resident. The 3 residents spoken with confirmed that there are no set routines or times, that the home was well staffed and they never had to wait long for assistance. One resident said what is nice is the staff employed all get along and support each other. Therefore given all this information we believe that the staffing levels within the home are appropriate and meet the needs of the resident group. Care Homes for Older People Page 5 of 9 What they could do better: If you want to know what action the person responsible for this care home is taking following this report, you can contact them using the details set out on page 2. Care Homes for Older People Page 6 of 9 Are there any outstanding requirements from the last inspection? Yes R No £ Outstanding statutory requirements These requirements were set at the last inspection. They may not have been looked at during this inspection, as a random inspection is short and focussed. The registered person must take the necessary action to comply with these requirements within the timescales set. No. Standard Regulation Requirement Timescale for action 1 9 13(2) Medication must not be signed for until it has been given. 19/12/2007 Care Homes for Older People Page 7 of 9 Requirements and recommendations from this inspection Immediate requirements: These are immediate requirements that were set on the day we visited this care home. The registered person had to meet these within 48 hours. No. Standard Regulation Requirement Timescale for action Statutory requirements These requirements set out what the registered person must do to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, Care Homes Regulations 2001 and the National Minimum Standards. The registered person(s) must do this within the timescales we have set. No. Standard Regulation Requirement Timescale for action Recommendations These recommendations are taken from the best practice described in the National Minimum Standards and the registered person(s) should consider them as a way of improving their service. No. Refer to Standard Good Practice Recommendations Care Homes for Older People Page 8 of 9 Reader Information Document Purpose: Author: Audience: Further copies from: Inspection Report CSCI General Public 0870 240 7535 (telephone order line) Our duty to regulate social care services is set out in the Care Standards Act 2000. Copies of the National Minimum Standards –Care Homes for Older People can be found at www.dh.gov.uk or got from The Stationery Office (TSO) PO Box 29, St Crispins, Duke Street, Norwich, NR3 1GN. Tel: 0870 600 5522. Online ordering from the Stationery Office is also available: www.tso.co.uk/bookshop Helpline: Telephone: 0845 015 0120 or 0191 233 3323 Textphone: 0845 015 2255 or 0191 233 3588 Email: enquiries@csci.gsi.gov.uk Web: www.csci.org.uk We want people to be able to access this information. If you would like a summary in a different format or language please contact our helpline or go to our website. Copyright © (2009) Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI). This publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, free of charge, in any format or medium provided that it is not used for commercial gain. This consent is subject to the material being reproduced accurately and on proviso that it is not used in a derogatory manner or misleading context. The material should be acknowledged as CSCI copyright, with the title and date of publication of the document specified. 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